Moldova Study Visit to Austria Enables Knowledge Sharing

By Camelia Gheorghe

October 3, 2024

From January 15–18, 2024, Moldovan delegates supported by Data for Impact (D4I) traveled to Vienna, Austria, for a study visit to exchange knowledge of European practices of collecting, analyzing, and using disaggregated data to facilitate the development and monitoring of social policies, as well as promoting equity and inclusion in the governance process. The delegation was led by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MOLSP) and included participants representing the MOLSP, Ministry of Education and Research, National Employment Agency, Equality Council, Ombudsman, and D4I Moldova. During the study tour, participants visited the European Union (EU) Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (ECSWR), and University of Vienna.

Agencies Contacted

Agency	Description
EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)	The FRA is an independent center of reference and excellence for promoting and protecting human rights in the EU.
FRA Equality, Roma, and Social Rights Unit	The Equality, Roma, and Social Rights Unit conducts legal and social analysis and delivers legal opinions, advice, and policy papers on substantive matters in the areas falling within the unit’s purview. The unit identifies trends by collecting and analyzing comparable data and evidence, contributing to better law making and implementation through independent advice. With a focus on research, data collection, and analysis, the unit undertakes qualitative and quantitative research, and is the main unit in the FRA responsible for large-scale surveys.
European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (ECSWR)	The ECSWR is an intergovernmental organization whose purpose is to foster collaboration in social welfare between governments and organizations by providing applied social science and comparative empirical research, forging the evidence base for social policy making and mutual learning, and initiating future-oriented public policy debates through networking. The ECSWR aims to build bridges within the UN-European region, namely between EU member states and accession countries like the Republic of Moldova.

The FRA interim director introduced the EU FRA activities. Then the Head of Equality, Roma, and Social Rights Unit, provided an overview of the unit, which is responsible for thematic areas of anti-racism, non-discrimination, integration, Roma inclusion, social rights, rights of the child, and rights of persons with disabilities. Representatives from the Equality, Roma, and Social Rights Unit delivered technical presentations on a range of monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) approaches, including equality data collection and indicator development, translation of legal standards for persons with disabilities into human rights indicators, and evidence-informed advocacy to promote the rights of the child and on Roma inclusion.

Fundamental rights define minimum standards to ensure everyone is treated with dignity; i.e., the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of age, disability, or ethnic background; the right to have personal data protected; and the right to get access to justice.

The delegation also met with ECSWR researchers who presented results of measuring child poverty, data-informed microsimulations of policy changes, and targeted measures to support vulnerable groups experiencing energy poverty during the cost-of-living crisis in the EU and selected Member States. The Moldovan delegates presented on Moldova’s experience mapping disability indicators with the support of D4I and recent policies to combat child poverty.

Researchers from Vienna University provided an overview of an evaluation of Austria’s National Strategy for the Inclusion of Roma 2011–2020, including the research design, results, and experiences working with both Roma communities and public institutions.

Knowledge sharing between the Moldovan delegation and the groups in Austria fostered principles of openness and built shared knowledge around MERL. Sharing best practices through knowledge exchange improves collaboration, builds awareness of existing knowledge, and offers participants an opportunity to collaborate on shared issues.

“Now we know where to look for information, whom to contact, whom to ask if we need additional support.”
—Study visit participant

Participants from the Moldovan delegation appreciated the knowledge exchanged about EU practices for disaggregated data collection, analysis, and use, in particular the lessons learned in disability and ethnicity data. Moldovan delegates were also impressed by the openness of experts, researchers, and data scientists from these institutions to share information, materials, linkages, and insights from their work. Delegates were also able to share good practices from the Republic of Moldova that can be presented at the European level, including establishing Barnahus-style services for integrated care of children with disabilities, the consultative process of developing programs for Roma inclusion and child protection, and the experience of Moldova’s Equality Council on collecting data related to equality.

Delegates made contact with relevant people in visited institutions for follow-up and joint work including activities such as using EUROMOD (the EU tax-benefit model), gaining further insights into child rights intervention, and conducting joint research and training.

During the wrap-up meeting, D4I facilitated a brainstorming session about a follow-up workshop for relevant government actors to share highlights of the study visit, discuss EU good practices and lessons learned, and agree on an action plan for implementing relevant practices in Moldova.

Following the study visit, a workshop was held in Chisinau on April 22, 2024. It brought together representatives of ministries, government agencies, civil society, and relevant development partners to develop an action plan aimed at boosting the collection of disaggregated data and its use. Coordination of the implementation and monitoring of the action plan will be the responsibility of the MOLSP which will regularly publish progress reports and conduct semi-annual data review and use meetings. It will also make proposals for adjusting the matrix of indicators, as appropriate. In its work, the MOLSP will be supported by an interministerial working group and international donors interested in the collection and use of data disaggregated by ethnicity and disability.

Learn more about D4I’s work in Moldova.

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